Robert G. Zinkhan, Architect AIA

Is a modern country home a contradiction in terms? Some clients moving into the California wine country of Sonoma and Napa counties face this dilemma. They want a modern house with a contemporary plan, amenities and finishes, but also desire the homey casualness and imagery of country architecture. The challenge, for the architect who cares, is to create the desired ambiance without being utterly derivative-replicating a farmhouse, chateau or manor house. The special sense of place that we associate with a country house usually derives from the unique connectedness of the building to its setting.